Sunday, July 12, 2009

How Do You Solve A Problem Like Basil?

We've got basil coming out the wazoo right now. The best answer for basil? Pesto!

As long as you have a food processor, you can make it in a jiffy. I like mine with lots of lemon (juice and zest). And I usually use pine nuts, but walnuts work, too.

Shannan's Pesto1 cup (or so) basil (I threw a tiny bit of parsley in mine because I had it and am not sure how else to use it)2/3 cup grated parmasean cheese (use the "shredded" kind, if it's store-bought)A handful of nutsJuice and zest of 1 lemon1 nice-sized clove of garlicA glug or two of olive oil

Throw it all into the food processor, press that button while your kids cover their ears, then spread it on bread, throw it on pasta, grill it on chicken - whatever strikes your fancy!

I'm so happy you posted a recipe for pesto! I have a ton of basil also and have wanted to make some. I've not heard of putting lemon juice in....I think I will :) Thanks for sharing. BTW, have you heard of making the pesto and freezing it in ice cube trays, then storing it in a freezer bag? I'd like to do that.

Oh, I saw pine nuts at Walmart this weekend, but they only had the small (read, tiny) 1/2 cup bag. If you're looking for a larger (as in huge) Sam's has a gigantic bag.